(Long Island, N.Y.) On Friday, April 11th, the New York State Senate Democratic Task Force on Criminal Justice Reform will host a public forum at Stony Brook University on proposals to mandate electronic recording of custodial police interrogations. This event will be the first of three forums across the state to address proposed reforms to our criminal justice system to prevent wrongful convictions of the innocent and convict the guilty. During these forums, Legislators and the public will hear testimony from experts and exonerees concerning reform measures that have been proposed in the New York State Legislature or by advocacy groups to help prevent wrongful convictions. Friday’s forum will focus on measures to address Mandatory Electronic Recording of Interrogations.

According to proponents of electronic recording of police interrogations, this protocol would save time and money, create undeniable evidence, resolve disputes involving allegations of police misconduct, and verify whether confessions are voluntary—benefits that might have contributed to the timely resolution of the 1990 People v. Martin Tankleff case if they had been in place at the time. The confession obtained during Mr. Tankleff’s interrogation by police regarding the murder of his parents was called into question, and after 17 years in prison, his conviction was unanimously overturned by the New York State Appellate Court, 2nd Department in light of new evidence of his innocence. Mr. Tankleff will be present and his representatives are among those scheduled to testify.